Balic, a 17-year-old midfielder, is highly rated in his homeland, and has spent the season playing with Hajduk Spilt.

He totalled 17 appearances in all, scoring six goals and registering two assists, and is part of the same youth generation that has developed Croatian wonderkids Mario Pasalic and Alen Halilovic - playing with Chelsea and Barcelona respectively.

The youngster is naturally a deep-lying playmaking midfielder, and has been likened to former Tottenham hero Luka Modric for his style of play and ability to read a game faster than his peers.

His breakthrough in the 2014/15 campaign has seen both the Hammers and Spurs show an interest in him, and both clubs want to bring him to England this summer.

He has a £5 million buyout clause in his contract, which may seem excessive for a 17-year-old, but for a player of his impressive talent, the Under-19 Croatian international seems like a bargain signing.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is hoping his Croatian links will swing Balic in a switch to the Boleyn Ground, whilst Spurs can use the impressive developmental curve of Modric to show just how good Balic can become at White Hart Lane.

Billy Hawkins

Billy is a freelance writer who contributes to various sites concerning football. Known to possess an obsession with statistics, Eastern European club sides, and Victorian football, he focuses upon the untapped potential of the Football League in the belief it is more enjoyable than the Premier League.